Check-row attachment for planters



(No Model.)

B. G. ROBINSON.

GHEGK ROW ATTACHMENT FOR PLANTERS. No. 390,707. Patented 001;. 9, 1888.

fli "Zorn a u. PETERS, Photo-Lithograph". wumngmn. an

ing the application to a corn-planter.

NITED STATES PATENT tree.

ROBERT C. ROBINSON, OF GRAND HAVEN, MICHIGAN.

CHECK-ROW ATTACHMENT FOR PLANTERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 390,707, dated October9, 1888.

Application filed March 7, 1888. Serial No. 266,445.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Bonner O. ROBINSON, of Grand Haven, in the county ofOttawa and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Check-Row Attachments for Planters; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, and to the figures and letters of referencemarked thereon.

This invention relates more particularly to improvements in themechanism employed for transmitting motion from the devices receivingmotion from the check-row cord or wire to thedcvices controlling themovements of the feeding mechanism; and it consists, generally, in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts, hereinafterdescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating one of thepreferred forms ofembodiment, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of my improved attachment.Fig. 2 is a top plan view show- Fig. 3 is a view in perspective showingthe ratchet devices and crank-shaft detached and separated.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures indicate the sameparts.

The letter A designates the cross-bar supporting the check-rowattachment; B, the devices engaging and operated directly by thecheck-row cord or wire; 0, the bar or slide controlling the feedingmechanism; and D, the crank-shaft connected to said slide, these severalparts being of any usual or approved form or construction competent foruse in connection with my improved attachment.

The devices B, of whatever form or construction, should be provided witha reciprocating member-such, for example, as the lever I), provided witha furcated end to receive the check-row cord or wire and engage theknots or protuberances thereon. To this reciprocating member is attachedone end of a red,

wire, or equivalent connection, 1, the opposite end being secured to asection of chain, 2, partially encircling a sprocket-wheel, 3, on shaftat. The opposite end ofthis chain is connected to one end of a spring ortension device, 5, connected to a bracket, 6, adjustably secured to thebar A. As is obvious, any other (No model.)

form of connection might be interposed between the lever and chain, orthe latter might be extended and connected directly to the lever; but Iprefer the wire connection shown as the cheaper and more convenient andeffective.

The reciprocating member I) of the checkrow attachment operates throughthe chain and in connection with the spring to oscillate thesprocket-wheel, the movement in one direction being produced by thecheck-row cord or wire engaging the lever band in the opposite directionby the spring. The spring and reciprocating member I) are thus caused tooperate simultaneously but in opposite directions upon the chain, andthrough the latter upon the sprocket-wheel, and as the lever bis broughtinto operative connection with the check-row cord or wire at intervalsonly, and i is released as the knot passes off, the spring, put undertension by the movement of the lever, serves not only to effect thereverse movement of the sprocket-wheel, but also to retract thereciprocating member I) and hold it in position to engage the nextsucceeding knot.

It will thus be seen that the reciprocating member or lever 12 and thespring operate successively to effect the oscillation of thesprocket-wheel alternately in opposite directions, the spring alsoserving to hold the lever retracted and the sprocket-wheel at the limitof its movement in one direction, said limit being fixed and determinedby the position of the stop for limiting the return of the reciprocatingmember I) when released from the knot on the check-row cord.

Having thus provided a means for effecting the necessary reciprocatingmovements of the sprocket-wheel positively in alternately 0ppositedirections and by an extremely light, simple, and efficient mechanism,it only be comes necessary to provide a means for positively connectingsaid sprocket-wheel to the crank or other actuating device connected toand controlling the movements of the bar 0, or other devices controllingthe feeding mechanism, said connecting devices being arranged to engagethe sprocket-wheel while moving in one direction and being disengagedfrom, so as to move independently thereof, while reciprocating in theopposite direction. A connection of this character is furnished by apawl and ratchet or equivalent frictional clutching device so arrangedthat as the sprocket-wheel is moved in one direction it will engage andcarry with it the crank-shaft or equivalent driving mechanism, and whenmoved in the Opposite direction it will be disengaged and turnindependently of the crank-shaft, to be again connected thereto as thedirection of its motion is reversed. A clutch mechanism of thischaracter is illustrated, consisting, essentially, of a disk, 6, securedto the crank-shaft beneath the sprocket-wheel and provided with inclinedshoulders or teeth 7, facing similarlyformed teeth or shoulders on thesprocketwheel. These shoulders or teeth are so arranged and disposedthat as the sprocketwheel is rotated by the action of the lever 12 thevertical faces of the shoulders will engage and the disk 6 will belocked to and rotated by the sprocket-wheel; but when the springoperates to return the sprocket-wheel the inclined faces of theshoulders will permit said wheel to move independently of the disk, andas the former approaches the extreme of its movement the points of oneset of teeth or shoulders will pass over and drop behind those on theopposite member preparatory to the next movement in the oppositedirection. In this form of ratchet-connection springs are dispensedwith, the weight of the sprocketwheel or loose member serving to insurethe locking together of the parts at or near the end of the back-stroke.

It will be observed that with the parts arranged as described thesprocket-wheel is reciprocated by and in unison with the movable memberor lever b of the check-row attachment, and the reciprocating motion isconverted into an intermitting rotary motion through the medium of theratchetconnection. It is desirable, therefore, thata detent or lockingdevice should be provided for holding the crank or driving shaft inposition during the return or backward reciprocation of thesprocket-wheel.

\Vheu two check-row attachments are employed, one located upon the rightand the other upon the left hand side of the machine, asintheillustration,the operating mechanisms being duplicates and eachoperating upon the crank-shaft through aseparate sprocketwheel, and thechains being passed around their respective sprocket-wheels in oppositedirections, the holding operation is performed by the sprocket-wheel notin action. Thus while the attachment on one side is being operated bythe cheek-row cord, that on the opposite side remains stationary withits sprocket-wheel held retracted by the spring, and at each forwardreciprocation of the crank-shaft the disk, co-opcrating with thesprocket-wheel of the idle attachment, will be carried beyond theshoulders on said idle sprocketwheel, and the shaft will thus beprevented from moving back as the operating sprocket-wheel turns back.

As hereinbefore stated, my improvements are applicable to and can beused in connection with any desired form of actuating devices B, havingareciprocating or equivalent member, I), to which the chain can beattached, and other forms of ratchet or clutch connections,theequivalent in operation to the toothed disk and sprocket-wheel, may beemployed, the special embodiment of the features illustrated forming asubordinate though substantive part of the invention as set forth in themore limited claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In acheck-row attachment for planters, the combination, with a reciprocatingmember thereof, a chain interposed between said reciprocating member anda retracting-spring, a sprocket-whecl engaging said chain, and a shaltfor actuating the feeding devices, of a ratchet or clutch connectionbetween said sprocket-wheel and shaft, substantially as described.

2. In a cheek-row attachment such as described, the combination, withshaft for actuating the feeding mechanism, and the sprocket-wheelconnected to said shaft by a clutch or ratchet device, of a chainpartially encircling said sprocketwheel and connected at one end to aspring or yielding retracting device and at the other end to areciprocating or equivalent member,of an actuating mechanism B,substantially as described.

In a checlerow attachment such as described, the combination, with areciprocating member, I), of the actuating devices, the chain connectedby a rod or wire to said member, the spring attached to said chain, thesprocket-wheel engaging the chain and provided with inclines or teeth,and the toothed disk located beneath said sprocket-wheel and engagingthe shaft for operating the feed meeln anism, substantially asdescribed.

4. In a check-row attachment such as described, the shaft supported uponthe crossbar and between the two actuating mechanisms B, twosproeketwheels independently supported and connected to said shaftthrough clutchdevices,andehainsengagingsaid sprocket-wheels, one end ofeach being connected to a reciprocating member of one of the actuatingdevices 13, and at the opposite end to an elastic or yielding retractingdevice, substantially as described.

5. In a cheek-row attachment, and in combination with the actuatingdevice B, the chain connected at one end to a reciprocating member ofsaid device and at the other to a spring, a sprocket-wheel engaging saidchain, a shaft or prime mover for the feeding devices, a clutchinterposed between the sprocket-wheel and said prime mover, and a detentoperating to prevent backward motion of the prime mover when thesprocketwheel is retracted, substantially as described.

ROBERT C. ROBINSON.

\Vitnesses:

Gimnnns CHRISTMAS, 'linvr SEAFIELD.

ICO

IIO

